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Amalie Arena lays out plan for safe reopening

The arena will open with Toronto Raptors games over the next week.

TAMPA, Fla — Nine months after putting events on hold due to COVID-19, Amalie Arena has a plan to safely welcome fans back inside.

"After months of meticulous planning and execution, Amalie Arena has addressed several key areas," the Vinik Sports Group, which owns the arena, said in a statement Wednesday.

First, fans will be kept at a safe social distance inside and outside Amalie Arena. This includes gates, concession stands and restrooms in addition to the seats. The concession stands will take only cashless, contactless forms of payment, with plexiglass barriers to separate fans and staff.

Ticketing at the gates will also be contactless. Keep in mind that fans will not be allowed to bring any bags into the arena. People will still be searched but without direct contact with security.

All fans and staff members will be required to wear a face-covering in the arena, at Thunder Alley and parts of the sidewalk along Channelside Drive. The Tampa Bay Lightning will reinforce this policy through its digital "Wear Your Mask" campaign.

Amalie Arena has also added safety measures you won't be able to see. Arena staff installed UV disinfectant lights over all six escalator locations. The arena also has what it calls a "hospital-grade" HVAC system, designed to filter and limit the spread of airborne pathogens.

Amalie Arena will reopen Friday, Dec. 18, to welcome up to 3,200 fans into the Raptors' preseason game against the Miami Heat. Up to 3,800 will be allowed inside when the Raptors open the regular season on Dec. 23 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Stanley Cup champion Lightning are hoping for a mid-January start to their season.

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